Lunch Buffet

Being jet-lagged and all, I did not stay up to watch Ted Cruz last night (indeed, what little awake-time I had was devoted to watching the Dexter series closer I missed on Sunday). But Lord knows the wiggy Texan’s performance art has gotten him the attention he craves. High-level demagoguery works like that.

Here are some midday news/views snacks:

* Senate votes unanimously to proceed to debate on the House-passed defund-Obamacare CR, setting up a final-passage cloture vote this weekend, after Democrats amend the bill to strip out defunding language.

* Meanwhile, Ted Cruz’s overnight talkathon, while not an actual filibuster, lifts him to third place on all-time Senate speech length list at 21 hours.

* At Daily Beast Patricia Murphy reports Senate Conservative Fund has run ads against seven GOP senators who have opposed Cruz/Lee “defund Obamacare” strategy, and may run ads against recalcitrant House members, too.